The Crane Industry Council of Australia’s (CICA) StartSafe app has proved to be a hit with world-leading heavy lift specialists Marr Contracting (Marr). Managing Director, Simon Marr, discusses the benefits of utilising the StartSafe app for daily pre-start inspections of cranes and equipment.
Implementing StartSafe across the Marr’s fleet has made the pre-start inspection process simpler, more relevant and instantly available to those responsible for the safe operation of cranes on project sites, says Simon.
“We have been impressed with the data we have been able to collect from the cranes, which not only benefits our business but the operators of the equipment. I’ve spent many years driving cranes and am fully aware of how laborious filling out a logbook can be. I always thought there had to be a better way, so when we heard that CICA was developing a pre-start system we were keen to get on board and trial it as a more efficient way to conduct daily pre-starts.”
Marr worked with CICA for more than 12 months to refine the StartSafe app for application to its unique fleet of heavy lift tower cranes.
“We initially trialled StartSafe in our Sydney yard operations before piloting on three client project sites. As with any new system, nothing is ever perfect straight away and it was a process of continual development and refinement. We could see the potential and wanted to get the functionality of the system right so that when it was launched, it was immediately useful for our operators, clients and the broader construction industry,” said Simon.
Marr has subsequently become the first tower crane owner and operator to adopt the use of StartSafe for rollout across all cranes in its fleet, both in Australia and globally.
StartSafe has reduced the amount of paperwork and streamlined the pre-start inspection processes significantly, according to Simon.
“StartSafe has made it much easier for operators to communicate issues to the nominated person on the project responsible for lifting operations and the safe use of the crane. That information then comes back to us as the crane owner,” said Simon.
“Our teams in Australia, the UK and elsewhere in the world are now conducting pre-starts in real time with the reports automatically being available on our portal. StartSafe has plenty of features which enable us to transfer information in real time and enable our teams to inspect different aspects of our equipment. If we do find an issue, we can focus on resolving it and then ensure we haven’t got the same issue on another crane that we might not have already identified,” said Simon.
StartSafe has also improved communication between Marr’s operators and maintenance teams.
“StartSafe has made communication between our teams a lot simpler and instantaneous. If there’s an issue with the crane they can identify it and we can be notified instantly rather than waiting for a logbook to come from the operator. With a logbook, the onus is on the crane operator to report everything, but issues might be developing over time and not be noticed until it’s too late. If we can see an issue developing, it can be addressed before it becomes a major issue,” said Simon.
StartSafe has also provided Marr with the ability to demonstrate crane inspection history to clients on site and they, in turn, are also seeing genuine value in the app.
“The feedback from clients and operators using the StartSafe app has been extremely positive and it’s a massive step forward for the industry. As a business, we’ve had a significant internal focus on improving our systems processes and at the same time we’ve been encouraging the industry to do the same.
“As an industry we need to shift the focus from, ‘Is the crane ready to operate?’ to ‘Is the crane safe to start lifting operations?’ Safety has to be paramount because the consequences can be horrendous if we don’t conduct inspections properly.
“Pre-start inspections of cranes and rigging equipment prior to commencing work is the most safety critical task crane operators are expected to do every day. It’s not just important, but a legal responsibility that comes with a high-risk work licence (the operator). The person with management or control of the plant on a project also has the same responsibility to ensure that the crane is safe to operate before lifting commences.
“A senior client of ours at a tier one builder recently used an apt analogy about how similar the role of crane operators is to that of a pilot on a plane, and that really stuck with me. We don’t necessarily have to get up in the crane and look at everything, but you’ve got to be aware and check to ensure the piece of equipment that you’re about to operate is safe to operate. It shouldn’t be a ‘tick and flick exercise.”
“The StartSafe app prompts the operator to check tower structures, bolts, pins, retaining pins, oil levels, electrical circuits, whatever the case may be. There are all sorts of different issues that the app throws up, which keeps the operator stimulated and engaged, ensuring the safety inspections are conducted correctly,” he said.
“One thing every crane driver has in common is that they don’t want to have an incident. StartSafe is providing them with a tool that makes it easier for them to conduct their inspections which is the first, and the most important, step towards not having an incident.
“When we first introduced the StartSafe app to our teams the typical reaction was ‘What is this?’ But once they understood it and could see how simple it is to use, the response was more like, ‘Finally, some great technology that helps us complete the most important tasks we have to do every day, that is simpler and easier with a record that we’ve done it’,” he said.
According to Simon, StartSafe has also positively impacted Marr’s compliance with safety regulations and standards.
“We now have a great library of records confirming the daily inspections our teams have conducted on our machines. We’ve also expanded the app’s functionality to conduct more thorough three-monthly inspections.
“We’re offering that additional service to our clients where we go out and inspect the crane from top to toe. That’s been fantastic because we are obviously ensuring the equipment is safe, but it also provides an opportunity to educate and train our people and client teams about what ‘good looks like’ in terms of what they should be looking for, whether they are operating a crane, erecting a crane or servicing a crane,” said Simon.
The StartSafe app also provides unexpected advantages such as cost savings and efficiency gains.
“An incident on a project is the biggest cost a client can have and it’s the last thing anyone wants. If we’re conducting daily inspections properly and the client, the operator, and the responsible party on site looking after the crane respect that before we start lifting, we have to make sure the crane is safe, then the benefits are there for everyone,” said Simon.
“The other side of the conversation is if we don’t go down that path and instead take the view that ‘the crane is just there to lift and we don’t care about inspections’, then there will be consequences. We don’t want to see accidents and injuries or construction sites shutting down, and we believe that this technology can help prevent that happening.
“We encourage the industry to get behind the StartSafe app. Over many years, across multiple sites and projects we’ve experienced the pressures around programs to meet but we’d really like to see more respect and acceptance in the industry about what an important piece of equipment a crane is on a project.
“That means having people correctly trained to manage the safety of the crane and making sure it is safe to operate every day.
“We want to get the focus back onto safety with the understanding that all operators need the time to conduct their pre-start inspections diligently – because when it comes to site safety, it starts here,” said Simon.